Down to Earth has to be one of my favourite eateries in Ubud and it has a fab selection of healthy and local goodies in their store downstairs. It’s a relative newbie to the market, having opened it’s doors back in March 2012, and markets itself as an organic vegetarian restaurant and health food shop.

The Ubud eatery is sister to Earth Cafe and Zulu Restaurant both in Seminyak, and the owned by Lait Soloman, a nutritionist, vegetarian chef and macrobiotic educator. Down to Earth’s little shop on the ground floor has the best range of health foods, supplements, health-related book, chemical-free candles, soaps, skin and hair care goodies, plus clothing & footwear. They also offer cookery courses and nutritional consultations.

I’m loving their slogan; ‘One peaceful world through nutrition’.

What draws me back to Down to Earth time and time again are their beautiful fresh salads prepared with fresh, local organic ingredients, topped with the simplest, yet incredibly tasty dressings. They also have a great selection of desserts, bitesized snacks and treats in their chiller cabinet that I became slightly addicted to during my time in Ubud. The service is friendly, relaxed and usually efficient.

From the outside

The Food:

The menu at Down to Earth is vast and vegetarian with options to suit vegan, macrobiotic, and raw ways of eating. They have the raw thing covered with their amazing salads, a few raw pasta, soup and dessert options. And then you discover the drinks menu, which covers three pages! Honestly, there is a juice, smoothie, elixir or something hot to suit everyone. Check out the Earth Cafe menu here, which is pretty much the basis of the Down to Earth menu.

My all time fave; the Sprouted Wheatberry Salad

The Sprouted Wheatberry Salad is officially my favourite thing to eat in Ubud, Down to Earth know exactly how to rock my boat! It’s a simple affair, LOTS of shredded veggies; carrot, beetroot, purple cabbage, bell pepper, jicama, lettuce, peas, with some sort of sprouted goodness; they don’t always have the sprouted wheatberries but they’ll always offer you something else instead. I often pimp the salad out with a side of avocado or pomelo, but there is really no needs as the portion sizes are more than enough for hungry yogis mid-training. The salad comes with a little jug of orange shoyu and olive oil dressing, so simple, yet so darn tasty…I’m salivating over it right now!

The smaller, wee version of the huge Dragon Bowl

Another favourtie is the Dragon Bowl, it comes in two sizes; normal, which is huge, and a wee version which is plenty enough for the average human. This salad consists of shredded beetroot, carrot, jicama, soba noddles, lettuce, pomelo, tempe and seaweed, and just screams health and vitality! Again, it comes with a beautiful dressing that perfectly compliments the flavor medley and the seaweed adds a boost of salty iodine.

Young Papaya Salad

Down to Earth also do a cracking Young Papaya Salad that comes served with sliced avocado, string beans, tomatoes, toasted cashews and a dreamy dressing of tamarind palm sugar, lemon and a little bit of chilli. Again, portion size is exactly right.

The Potassium Magnesium Smoothie – banana, fig, and flax seed

Potassium Magnesium Smoothie is the thickest and most satisfying smoothie I’ve found so far during my time on earth. It’s full of banana, flax seed and figgy goodness; thick, sweet and grounding, and utterly amazing for your insides. This one’s not for the light hearted, a meal in itself which is usually too thick for the natural straws and should really be eaten with a spoon. Ah, fond memories!

The Ultimate Green Juice, well half of it!

Down to Earth’s Ultimate Green Juice is rammed full of greens and angle pressed for maximum nutrients, it’s a juice that tastes different every time depending on who makes it and It just feels like I’m drinking liquid health and vitality into my body. It’s light enough to have before a main, yet perfectly satisfying on it’s own. Score!

The Bali Boost, packed full of superfoods

The Bali Boost is Down to Earth’s superfood medly that contains literally every superfood known to man, ok not every superfood, it’s a mix of maca, raw chocolate, bee pollen, guarana, and flax seeds! Again, each serving tastes slightly different, the effects had me powering through an afternoon of practice teaching during our yoga teacher training at Radiantly Alive!

Mmm, the raw chocolate cup…mmmm

The raw chocolate mouse cup looks divine and it tastes even better, It’s the perfect size to share with a close friend or if you’ve no self control, like me, you can scoff it down safe in the knowledge that it’s raw and fabulously healthy for you – raw chocolate being the king of all superfoods, just ask David Wolfe!

They also have a great selection of little chocolate bites, superfood balls and a few other completely raw desserts, that i’d recommend diving into with no regrets!

Service:

The service i’ve experienced at Down to Earth was always good- greeted with a smile, and as a regular you’re treated to a little extra cheer and TLC- remembering my preferences for chopsticks (in an attempt to slow down my eating!) and preempting my move to the desserts counter! The service here is relaxed and I did on occasion feel that I might have been forgotten as I sat on the balcony out of sight from the service area. I got in the habit of making my presence know with some friendly banter or ordering as I walked in.

Presentation:

Looking over to the much adored chiller cabinet & service area

View across the booths

Down to Earth has kept it simple on the presentation stakes, nothing super fancy here, just great tasting and simple, fresh food served on clean white crockery, natural touches (straws, place settings), set against lemony yellow & vibrant red walls and open to the natural air and view over the roof tops. Down to Earth has a really homely community feel, it’s the sort of place you could come and chill for the afternoon with a good book whilst sampling great food and juices.

Price:

Down to Earth isn’t the cheapest place to eat in Ubud, but It’s certainly no more expensive than Clear Cafe, Kafe or Bali Budda, which are of the same caliber. Portion sizes are great and the ingredients are all super fresh, feel full of vital energy and goodness. You’ve got to remember that the organic produce and labour intensive preparation for the type of cuisine you find at Down to Earth equates to a high price tag. My health is invaluable, I don’t put a price on feeding my body and mind with organic, fresh and tasty foods, which is exactly what you’ll find at Down to Earth.